Columbia faculty members are recognized within the University and across the world for their outstanding scholarship and cutting-edge research, which they bring into the classroom so students can gain new perspectives and learn from leaders in the field. Following are just some of the awards and honors that our faculty received in 2013–2014.
Alice Fay Di Castagnola Award, Poetry Society of America
This award recognizes a manuscript-in-progress of poetry.
- Timothy B. Donnelly SOA’98, Associate Professor of Writing in the Faculty of the Arts, for his poem “Traveler”
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Two Columbia College faculty members were elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The academy’s membership encompasses more than 4,600 fellows and 600 Foreign Honorary Members and reflects the full range of disciplines and professions: mathematics, the physical and biological sciences, medicine, the social sciences and humanities, business, government, public affairs and the arts.
- Sheldon Pollock, the Arvind Raghunathan Professor of South Asian Studies
- Elaine R. Sisman-Fridson P: ’11, the Anne Parsons Bender Professor of Music
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Honorees are nominated by their peers and recognized for meritorious efforts to advance science or its applications.
- Arnold L. Gordon GSAS’65, Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Andrew J. Mills, Professor of Physics
- Philip E. Protter, Professor of Statistics
American Physical Society
Honorees are recognized for exceptional contributions to the physics enterprise; for example, outstanding physics research, important applications of physics, leadership in or service to physics, or significant contributions to physics education.
- Robert D. Mawhinney, Professor of Physics
American Statistical Association
Honorees are recognized for outstanding professional contributions to and leadership in the field of statistical science.
- Tian Zheng GSAS’02, Associate Professor of Statistics
Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, American Library Association
This award recognizes the best of the best in fiction and nonfiction for adult readers published in the United States and serves as a guide to help adults select quality reading material.
- Richard Ford, the Emmanuel Roman and Barrie Sardoff Roman Professor of the Humanities, for his book Canada
Atmospheric Sciences Ascent Award, American Geophysical Union
Established in 2012, this award recognizes exceptional mid-career scientists in the fields of the atmospheric and climate sciences.
- Adam H. Sobel, Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics
Award in Colloid and Surface Chemistry, American Chemical Society
This award recognizes and encourages outstanding scientific contributions to colloid and/or surface chemistry in North America.
- Kenneth B. Eisenthal, the Mark Hyman Professor of Chemistry
Bancroft Prize
This prize is awarded annually by the Trustees of Columbia University on the basis of the scope, significance and depth of research, and richness of interpretation they present in the areas of American history and diplomacy.
- Ira I. Katznelson ’66, P: ’02, the Ruggles Professor of Political Science and History, for his book Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time
Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Science, Franklin Institute
Established in 1824, the Franklin Institute Awards Program recognizes achievement and encourages excellence in science and technology.
- Joachim Frank, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and of Biological Sciences
Bourke Award, Royal Society of Chemistry
Established in 1954, this award enables distinguished scientists to lecture in the United Kingdom in the field of physical chemistry or chemical physics.
- Ann E. McDermott, the Esther Breslow Professor of Biological Chemistry, Engineering, and Chair of the Department of Chemistry
Bruce E. Gronbeck Political Communication Research Award, Carl Couch Center for Social and Internet Research
This award, established by the Carl Couch Center, recognizes outstanding published works that interpret or address theoretical-conceptual, historical and critical-cultural issues of political communication.
- Robert Y. Shapiro, Professor of Political Science, for his book Selling Fear: Counterterrorism, the Media and Public Opinion, co-authored by Dr. Brigitte Nacos and Dr. Yaeli Block-Elkon
Chairman of PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature, PEN American Center
Founded by Salman Rushdie, this festival brings together writers from around the world to offer firsthand cultural and political accounts and foster a deeper understanding of the world’s intellectual landscape.
- Colm Tóibín, the Irene and Sidney B. Silverman Professor of the Humanities
Charles J. Goodwin Award of Merit, American Philological Association
Established in 1951, this award recognizes outstanding contributions to classical scholarship published by a member of the American Philological Association.
- Gareth D. Williams, the Violin Family Professor of Classics and Chair of the Department of Classics, for his book The Cosmic Viewpoint: A Study of Seneca’s Natural Questions
Daniel Patrick Moynihan Prize, American Academy of Political and Social Science
This prize is recognizes individuals who use sound analysis and social science research to inform public policy while also contributing to the public discourse on society’s most pressing issues, much like the prize’s namesake, the late Senator Moynihan, did.
- Joseph E. Stiglitz P: ’92, University Professor
Distinguished Columbia Faculty Awards
Established in 2005, these awards are given annually and recognize and reward faculty members for attributes beyond their scholarship and research. Recipients are recognized for their teaching and mentoring skills.
- Elizabeth S. Blackmar, Professor of History
- Virginia Fortna, Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Department of Political Science
- Erik I. Gray, Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature
- Peter B. Kelemen, the Arthur D. Storke Memorial Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Ioannis Mylonopoulos, Associate Professor of Art History and Archaeology
- Christine M. Philliou ’94, Associate Professor of History
- Valerie J. Purdie-Vaughns ’93, Associate Professor of Psychology
- Joanna R. Stalnaker, Associate Professor of French
- Brent Stockwell, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Chemistry
- Rafael M. Yuste, Professor of Biological Sciences and Neurosciences
Ditson Conductor’s Award, Alice M. Ditson Fund
Established in 1945, this award recognizes conductors for distinguished contributions to American music.
- Jeffrey F. Milarsky, Senior Lecturer in Discipline; Conductor and Music Director
Educator’s Award, Delta Kappa Gamma Society
This award recognizes a book written by a woman whose content may influence the direction of thought and action necessary to meet the needs of today’s complex society.
- Rachel E. Adams, Professor of English and Comparative Literature, for her book Raising Henry: A Memoir of Motherhood, Disability, and Discovery
Excellence Award in Global Economic Affairs, Kiel Institute for the World Economy
This award recognizes the brightest young researchers in the area of global economic affairs. The Kiel Institute uses its resources to provide award winners with the intellectual, financial and administrative support to pursue focused programs of research in designated areas.
- Ricardo Reis, Professor of Economics
Frank Isakson Prize for Optical Effects in Solids, American Physical Society
This prize recognizes outstanding optical research that leads to breakthroughs in the condensed matter sciences.
- Tony F. Heinz P: ’10, the David M. Rickey Professor of Optical Communications in Engineering and Professor of Physics
Friend of the Year Award, India Abroad
This award recognizes someone who — though not Indian by origin — contributed to deepening the understanding of India outside the subcontinent.
- Sheldon Pollock, the Arvind Raghunathan Professor of South Asian Studies
Gold Medal Award, American Institute of Chemists
This award recognizes service to the science of chemistry and to the profession of chemistry or chemical engineering in the United States.
- Ronald Breslow P: LAW’84, University Professor
Great Teacher Award
Established in 1949, this award is given annually by the Society of Columbia Graduates to two outstanding teachers, including one from the College, as selected by the society.
- Susan G. Pedersen, the James P. Shenton Professor of the Core Curriculum, Department of History
Guggenheim Fellow, John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Honorees have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts.
- Sarah Cole, Professor of English and Comparative Literature
- Karl H. Jacoby, Professor of History
Gunther-Laukien Prize, Experimental NMR Conference
Established in 1999 in memory of Professor Gunther Laukien, this prize recognizes cutting-edge experimental NMR research with a high probability of enabling beneficial new applications.
- Ann E. McDermott, the Esther Breslow Professor of Biological Chemistry, Professor of Biological Sciences and Chemical Engineering and Chair of the Department of Chemistry
Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for Non-Fiction, National Community of Black Writers
Named in honor of writers Zora Neale Hurston and Richard Wright, this award recognizes the writing of published authors of African descent.
- Fredrick C. Harris, Professor of Political Science, for his book The Price of the Ticket: Barack Obama and the Rise and Decline of Black Politics
Isabel Dalhousie Fellowship, Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, the University of Edinburgh
Created by author Alexander McCall Smith and named after the heroine of one of his successful series of novels, the honoree is invited to Scotland to give a public lecture and generally participate in the life of the research institute within the university.
- Edward Mendelson, the Lionel Trilling Professor in the Humanities
James B. Palais Book Prize, Association for Asian Studies Northeast Asia Council
This prize is awarded annually to an outstanding scholar of Korean studies from any discipline or country specialization to recognize distinguished scholarly work on Korea.
- Theodore Hughes, Associate Professor in East Asian Languages and Cultures, for his book Literature and Film in Cold War South Korea
Kenyon Medal for Classical Studies and Archaeology, British Academy
Established in 1957, this award recognizes an author for work relating to classical literature or archaeology.
- Alan Cameron, Emeritus Professor of Classics
The Lionel Trilling Book Award
This award is given annually by Columbia College students to a faculty author whose work upholds a level of excellence commensurate with that of Lionel Trilling ’25, GSAS’38.
- Rashid Khalidi, the Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies and Literature and Chair of the Department of History, for his book Brokers of Deceit: How the U.S. Has Undermined Peace in the Middle East
Ludwig Mond Award, Royal Society of Chemistry
Established in 1981, this prize is recognizes outstanding research in any aspect of inorganic chemistry.
- Gerard F.R. Parkin, Professor of Chemistry
Mark Van Doren Award for Teaching
Named after Mark Van Doren GSAS’21, this award is given annually by Columbia College students and recognizes outstanding teaching on the part of a faculty member who teaches College students.
- Robert D. Friedman P: ’13, Professor of Mathematics
National Humanities Medal, National Endowment for the Humanities
Inaugurated in 1997, this award recognizes individuals or groups whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of the humanities and broadened citizens’ engagement with history, literature, languages, philosophy and other humanities subjects.
- Wm. Theodore de Bary ’41, GSAS’53, P: ’68, BUS’71, LAW’71, the John Mitchell Mason Professor Emeritus; Provost Emeritus; the Special Service Professor in East Asian Languages and Cultures
NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, National Institutes of Health
This award recognizes exceptionally promising early-career scientists whose research is unusually creative and poised to have a significant impact on an important biomedical or behavioral research problem.
- Ozgur Sahin, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Physics
Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize, American Physical Society
This prize is awarded annually and recognizes and encourages outstanding theoretical or experimental contributions to condensed matter physics.
- Philip Kim P: ’16, Professor of Physics and Applied Physics
Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering, David and Lucile Packard Foundation
This fellowship is intended to give young, creative researchers the freedom and flexibility to explore promising avenues of research early in their careers. It is available to faculty members who are eligible to serve as principal investigators engaged in research in physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, astronomy, computer science, earth science, ocean science and all branches of engineering.
- Ozgur Sahin, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Physics
PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award, PEN American Center
This award recognizes writing that exemplifies literary excellence on the subject of physical and biological sciences.
- Carl L. Hart P: ’17, Associate Professor of Psychology, for his book High Price: A Neuroscientist’s Journey of Self-Discovery That Challenges Everything You Know About Drugs and Society
Presidential Global Innovation Fund
This fund is designed to provide support for faculty to use the resources of facilities of one or more of the University’s eight Global Centers for teaching or research activities.
- Zainab Bahrani, the Edith Porada Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Art and Archaeology, for Mapping Mesopotamian Monuments
- Taoufik Ben-Amor, the Gordon Gray Jr. Senior Lecturer in Arabic Studies in the Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies; Madeleine Dobie, Associate Professor of French and Romance Philology; and Emmanuelle Saada, Associate Professor of French and Romance Philology and Director of the Center for French and Francophone Studies, for Middle-East/North Africa Summer Institute in Amman and Paris
- Daniel Corstange, Assistant Professor of Political Science and of International and Public Affairs, for Refugee Perceptions of International Intervention in the Syrian Civil War
- John Huber, Professor of Political Science, for Study of Democratic Engineering in the Middle East
- Holger Klein, Professor of Art History and Archaeology and Chair of the Department of Art History and Archaeology, for The Istanbul Research and Documentation Project
- Mahmood Mamdani, the Herbert Lehman Professor of Government and Professor of Anthropology, for Ifriqiyya: The Indian Ocean and Trans-Africa Slavery Networks
- Susan Pedersen, the James P. Shenton Professor of the Core Curriculum, and Pamela Smith P: ’06, the Seth Low Professor of History, for Enhancing the Research Component of the History Major
- Sheldon Pollock, the Arvind Raghunathan Professor of South Asian Studies, for The Columbia Global Humanities Project
Ralph F. Hirschmann Award in Peptide Chemistry
The award recognizes and encourages outstanding achievements in the chemistry, biochemistry and biophysics of peptides.
- Samuel Danishefsky, the Centennial Professor of Chemistry
Rollo Davidson Prize
The prize is awarded annually and recognizes early-career probabilists by the Rollo Davidson trustees.
- Ivan Z. Corwin, Associate Professor of Mathematics
Sophie Brody Award, American Library Association
Established in 2006, this award is funded by Arthur Brody and the Brodart Foundation, and is given to encourage, recognize and commend outstanding achievement in Jewish literature.
- Jeremy A. Dauber, the Atran Professor of Yiddish Language, Literature and Culture, for his book The Worlds of Sholem Aleichem
Tom W. Bonner Prize in Nuclear Physics, American Physical Society
This prize recognizes and encourages outstanding experimental research in nuclear physics, including the development of a method, technique or device that significantly contributes in a general way to nuclear physics research.
- William A. Zajc, Professor of Physics and Chair of the Department of Physics
Virginia Gray Best Book Award, American Political Science Association
The award from the State Politics and Policy Section of the American Political Science Association is awarded annually for the best political science book published on the subject of U.S. state politics or policy in the preceding three calendar years.
- Justin H. Phillips, Associate Professor of Political Science, for his book The Power of American Governors
Volkmar and Margret Sander Prize, New York University’s Deutsches Haus
This prize was established by Professor Margret Sander in memory of her husband, Professor Volkmar Sander, founder of NYU’s Deutsches Haus. It is awarded to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the cultural relationship between the German-speaking world and the United States.
- Fritz R. Stern ’46, GSAS’53, P: ’71, University Professor Emeritus and Provost Emeritus of the University
Wm. Theodore de Bary Award for Distinguished Service to the Core Curriculum
Established in 1993, this award recognizes faculty members and administrators for devotion to the Core Curriculum outside of the classroom, including, but not limited to, chairing one of its courses, serving on one of its committees, participating in formal discussions about it and publishing material on the Core’s nature and purpose.
- Holger A. Klein, Professor and Chair of the Department of Art History and Archaeology
Women in Cell Biology Sustained Excellence in Research Award, American Society for Cell Biology
This award recognizes women who have a track record of exceptional scientific contributions to cell biology and/or have effectively translated cell biology across disciplines, and who exemplify a high level of scientific endeavor and leadership.
- Elizabeth A. Miller, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
50 Most Influential People in Finance, Bloomberg Markets
This list recognizes the people who matter most in global finance: those whose comments move markets; whose deals set the value of companies or securities; and whose ideas and policies shape corporations, governments and economies.
- Michael Woodford, the John Bates Clark Professor of Political Economy